Emergency Preparedness Fair
June 1, 2013
9am-1pm
A preparedness fair is in the works! We are gathering information, services, emergency providers, demo's and much more so we can share all of it with the whole community! We'll have booths on 72-hr kits, water storage, gardening, elderly care, the cannery, LDS community services and much much more. We hope you share the news and come and support our efforts in spreading the word about being prepared.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
Don't cut the Cord!
Why old-fashioned phones still matter
I read an article in the March 2013 Readers Digest that reminded me of the usefulness of corded phones. The article tells of the woes in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy when 25% of cell towers were down along much of the east coast and New Yorkers lined up at the few and far between payphones to reach family and friends.
Here are some excellent reasons to keep a landline and a corded phone handy (even if it's just in your closet):
- When other forms of communication break down, landlines are dependable because they rely on underground copper wire, not electricity and radio waves.
- When you call 9-1-1 from a cell phone, operators will not be able to immediately identify your location, as they can from a telephone.
Even when the power is out, your landline will still work, so keep a corded phone tucked away for those storm emergencies.
I read an article in the March 2013 Readers Digest that reminded me of the usefulness of corded phones. The article tells of the woes in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy when 25% of cell towers were down along much of the east coast and New Yorkers lined up at the few and far between payphones to reach family and friends.
Here are some excellent reasons to keep a landline and a corded phone handy (even if it's just in your closet):
- When other forms of communication break down, landlines are dependable because they rely on underground copper wire, not electricity and radio waves.
- When you call 9-1-1 from a cell phone, operators will not be able to immediately identify your location, as they can from a telephone.
Even when the power is out, your landline will still work, so keep a corded phone tucked away for those storm emergencies.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Thankful for Light
Thanksgiving is always my time for getting ready the winter. I change battery's in dead or dim flashlights and then set them in a convenient place. I do this so that if we ever come home to a power outage I know exactly where to go to have light. I also like to burn candles for a lovely fragrance in my home. This doubles as emergency lighting if the need arises. I keep my box of matches handy near a designated candle so I always know where it is if the power goes out as it occasionally does during winter months in Sacramento.
We often get those small red, black or blue LED flashlights from Harbor Freight with coupons so they are often free or deeply discounted. Those work well in our house because they are small, but bright. I can then easily find my way to other sources of light. Small flashlights can also be placed in nightstands or dresser drawers for kids to use.
Preparing in advance can save a lot of headache and frustration. No one wants to find out their flashlight is dead when the power is already out. Check those batteries!
We often get those small red, black or blue LED flashlights from Harbor Freight with coupons so they are often free or deeply discounted. Those work well in our house because they are small, but bright. I can then easily find my way to other sources of light. Small flashlights can also be placed in nightstands or dresser drawers for kids to use.
Preparing in advance can save a lot of headache and frustration. No one wants to find out their flashlight is dead when the power is already out. Check those batteries!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Happy New Year
It's 2012! This year is a great year to get going on your food storage or Emergency kits. I have been working on my 72-hr kits over the last few months. It's amazing what you come across as you shop when you keep your 72-hr kit needs in the back of your mind.
If you already have backpacks, tubs or buckets ready for your kits, start collecting!
There are many different lists for kits out there, from basic to what I consider overkill. Find one that fits your needs and print it out. Post it in an easy to see spot so it's consistently in the back of your mind. Next time you go shopping find one or two items to buy... and now you are on your way!
If you already have a complete 72-hr kit, think about a car kit. They are helpful in many situations. Even if it's as simple as a flashlight, a first aid kit and a blanket.
If you already have backpacks, tubs or buckets ready for your kits, start collecting!
There are many different lists for kits out there, from basic to what I consider overkill. Find one that fits your needs and print it out. Post it in an easy to see spot so it's consistently in the back of your mind. Next time you go shopping find one or two items to buy... and now you are on your way!
If you already have a complete 72-hr kit, think about a car kit. They are helpful in many situations. Even if it's as simple as a flashlight, a first aid kit and a blanket.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!”
This last Sunday Michelle Bell gave a great talk in Sacrament Meeting about being self-reliant. Here are a few of her great quotes!
Zeith B. McMullin:
“Work is the source of happiness, self-esteem, and prosperity. In the economy of God, there is no room for chicanery and greed.”
Brigham Young:
“I commend to all the virtues of industry and thrift, which I believe go hand in hand. The labor and thrift of the people make a nation, a community, or a family strong. Work and thrift make the family independent. “
President Hinckley:
“I believe in the gospel of work. Work is the miracle by which talent is brought to the surface and dreams become reality. . . . . The process of stretching our minds and utilizing the skills of our hands lifts us from the stagnation of mediocrity. “
Spencer W. Kimball:
“The responsibility for each member’s spiritual, social, emotional, physical, or economic well-being rests first, upon himself, second, upon his family, and third, upon the Church. Members of the Church are commanded by the Lord to be self-reliant and independent to the extent of their ability.”
Thank you Michelle for reminding us to strive for self-sufficiency.
Zeith B. McMullin:
“Work is the source of happiness, self-esteem, and prosperity. In the economy of God, there is no room for chicanery and greed.”
Brigham Young:
“I commend to all the virtues of industry and thrift, which I believe go hand in hand. The labor and thrift of the people make a nation, a community, or a family strong. Work and thrift make the family independent. “
President Hinckley:
“I believe in the gospel of work. Work is the miracle by which talent is brought to the surface and dreams become reality. . . . . The process of stretching our minds and utilizing the skills of our hands lifts us from the stagnation of mediocrity. “
Spencer W. Kimball:
“The responsibility for each member’s spiritual, social, emotional, physical, or economic well-being rests first, upon himself, second, upon his family, and third, upon the Church. Members of the Church are commanded by the Lord to be self-reliant and independent to the extent of their ability.”
Thank you Michelle for reminding us to strive for self-sufficiency.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Emergency preparedness Tips
I put on a presentation for the Relief Society this last Thursday. I wanted to put up the tips that we talked about. This is the information I went over, the tips will follow.
For many of us, actually sitting down and creating a food storage plan, seems not only difficult, but, costly and time consuming. Several women have shared tips on how they do their food storage, and although many of us know a fair amount, we don’t take the time to put all the pieces together to actually move forward with a plan. (www.molly-mormon.com/ food storage tips)
"We ask that you be wise as you store food and water and build your savings. Do not go to extremes; it is not prudent, for example, to go into debt to establish your food storage all at once. With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve."
—The First Presidency
According to figures gathered by one of the food storage manufacturing firms, less than 6% of the members of the Church have an adequate emergency program.
Where do you fit into this figure?
Let’s enjoy life as much as we can – but let’s also be prepared. As we have recently seen, an unexpected disaster or loss of income can strike every s-o-o quickly.
“When the emergency is upon us, the time of preparation has passed.” (www.ldsemergencyresources.com/food-storage)
First Two Tips...
Buy ingredients, not prepared foods
Ingredients such as salt, honey, oatmeal and wheat will last a lot longer than prepared foods like TV dinners, cereals, and food mixes. Naturally, as you purchase food ingredients, you’ll want to practice actually using them! And remember the basics. For example, if you purchase a bag of wheat, how exactly do you plan to make flour out of it? (ldsemergencyresources.com/food-storage)
Buy extra, use FIFO
Go ahead and buy more food than normal when you’re out shopping, and set it aside. Use the “first in, first out” rule to eat your older supplies first. Keep rotating your supplies so you never abandon food “way in the back.” (www.ldsemergencyresources.com/food-storage/Here's the rest of the Tips...
Work your food storage plan into your regular shopping list.
Buy ingredients, not prepared foods.
Buy in Bulk.
Home canning is cost effective, not difficult but time consuming.
Dry packing with a food saver or vacu-pack-type machine is a good option for preserving items bought in bulk, or maybe even for spices.
Gardening: allows for a greater degree of self reliance.
Families should store the type of food they like to eat.
Families should sit down together to discuss their needs and ways to build up food storage and prepare for emergencies.
72-hr kit: Babies and small children need special considerations. Diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, blankets, binky’s… etc.
72-hr kit: Have copies of all important documents like birth certificates, shot records, insurance policies and deeds in your 72-hr kit.
Things like soap, shampoo, toothpaste, laundry detergent are all things that should be considered when planning your year supply.
72-hr kit: A “refresh” card that lists the contents of your kit and the dates that medication and perishables will expire.
72-hr kit: A corded phone. It will still work when the power is out.
Medication: Get a 7-day supply of any daily prescription(s) you or your child is taking. You can ask your doctor for a 1-week supply for your kit.
Have a communication plan. Teach your children a cell number or good contact number in case of an emergency. Also, designate an out of state contact for family members to check in with, in the case of a larger disaster.
Have an emergency numbers list near your home phone.
Don’t forget your pet! They need supplies too!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Dutch Oven Cooking Class
Thursday night I attended a night Relief Society class that focused on dutch oven cooking taught by Bonnie Waltz. She highlighted many great features of dutch ovens. Such as being able to adapt anything from stove top to dutch oven, using charcoal as the heating source. ~ frying, boiling -- heat from the bottom
~ baking-- 2:1 ratio lid to bottom
~ roasting-- 1:1 ratio top and bottom
~ stewing, simmering -- 4:1 bottom to lid ratio
~ lid- turned upside down can be used as a griddle
We also learned that a proper dutch oven needs to have a lid with a flange, or lip around edge, legs and a bail (the wire handle). The best ones are cast iron, but aluminum is also a choice.
Bonnie cooked a variety of foods for us to try. The bread pudding, chicken pot pie and biscuits were great. A big thank you to her for putting this class together and teaching such a yummy class!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Activity Day Girls Project
This last Wednesday the Activity Day leaders had a great project for the girls. They talked about emergency preparedness and then put together little 72-hr kits to get the girls started. The kits included things like granola bars, raisins, beef jerky, cup-o-noodles, trail mix and even a small first aid kit. This is a good example for us all. It only takes a little bit of effort to get something put together, even if it's only something small.
A great quote was included in the kit:
"'Self-reliance means using all of our blessings from Heavenly Father to care for ourselves and our families and to find solutions for our own problems.' Each of us has a responsibility to try to avoid problems before they happen and to learn to overcome challenges when they occur ...
"How do we become self-reliant? We become self-reliant through obtaining sufficient knowledge, education, and literacy; by managing money and resources wisely, being spiritually strong, preparing for emergencies and eventualities; and by having physical health and social and emotional well-being." -Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president, Ensign Jan. 2010
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Cannery
A new price list just came out from the cannery with increased prices.
According to the new price list from April 4th, many food staples
have increased by more than 20% since the last price list came out just 3 months ago on January 3rd.
Beans. Black 13.69%
Beans, Pinto 12.13%
Beans, White 11.88%
Milk, Non Fat Dry 25.00%
Rice 38.99%
Sugar 33.81%
Wheat, Red/White 44.54%
Apple Slices 24.53%
Carrots 21.31%
Macaroni 40.25%
Oats, Quick 48.90%
Oats, Regular 49.19%
Onions 21.60%
Potato Flakes 33.33%
Spaghetti 38.99%
Beans, Refried 27.72%
Cocoa Mix 40.69%
Flour 29.70%
Fruit Drink Mix 26.20%4
Now, I don't know if the prices are rising due to gas prices or inflation, but it gets you thinking about the future.
According to the new price list from April 4th, many food staples
have increased by more than 20% since the last price list came out just 3 months ago on January 3rd.
Beans. Black 13.69%
Beans, Pinto 12.13%
Beans, White 11.88%
Milk, Non Fat Dry 25.00%
Rice 38.99%
Sugar 33.81%
Wheat, Red/White 44.54%
Apple Slices 24.53%
Carrots 21.31%
Macaroni 40.25%
Oats, Quick 48.90%
Oats, Regular 49.19%
Onions 21.60%
Potato Flakes 33.33%
Spaghetti 38.99%
Beans, Refried 27.72%
Cocoa Mix 40.69%
Flour 29.70%
Fruit Drink Mix 26.20%4
Now, I don't know if the prices are rising due to gas prices or inflation, but it gets you thinking about the future.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
From the Stake Handout on Food Storage
COMPLEMENARY PROTEINS
Meat is a complete protein. It's the only source of complete protein. Dairy products are near perfect and eggs have the most usable protein of any food. Soy products are close to being complete since soy has the largest of total protein of any food(40% of soy is protein). Quinoa is also almost complete. The rest of the plant proteins are incomplete. This means that these other plant foods do not have the 8 essential amino acids we must eat to combine with the other 14 amino acids synthesized by the body to total 22 amino acids necessary to sustain human life. Non-meat protein sources are divided into four groups-grains, legumes(peas and beans), seeds & nuts, dairy.
Complementary Proteins
· Combining one plant food that provides four of the 8 essential amino acids with a different food that provides the other four gives you all eight. Together, they provide complete protein. Selecting two or more sources that, together, provide the eight essential amino acids is a practical diet. It is the essence of a vegetarian diet. Most ethnic(poor people) cooking around the world fits this pattern.
· This is NOT complicated. It turns out ANY two foods, from different groups, provide complete protein. At one time it was thought they had to be eaten together but later studies show that it's fine just to eat the two foods in the same 24 hour period.
By far, the grain-dairy and grain-legume combination's are the most common but there are standard examples of all combination's.
Other reasons why non-meat protein sources are good
· Plant sources are plentiful, cheaper than meat, and store well. Meat is expensive and hard to store. Hence, plant proteins are what the church suggests we store for our long term food storage program which include dried legumes, grains, & fat or oil.
· Furthermore, non-fat dry milk as an animal product is suggested as a food storage item because of its high amount of usable protein which is almost complete and complements other incomplete plant sources of protein such as grains.
· Plant sources also provide much needed fiber while meat provides little or none. While too much fat is bad, some is essential. Meat is a good source of fat, and if it is restricted, one needs another source. Dairy, seeds, and nuts provide fat and so do many beans.
EXAMPLES OF COMPLETE PROTEIN COMBINATION'S
Grain and Dairy
· Bread and butter(not margarine)
· Hot or cold cereal with milk
· Eggs and toast or Yogurt & toast
· Pizza (bread & cheese)
· Macaroni & cheese or Spaghetti with grade cheese
· Anything with noodles or rice and a cheese sauce
· Egg salad sandwich
· Cake and milk
· Quiche(egg pie)
· Any whole grained bread/sandwich with a glass of milk
· Rice, whole grained bread or tapioca pudding made with milk
· Any sandwich(whole grained bread) with a slice of cheese
Grain and Legume
· It is common to put some peas in a noodle dish
· Chili over rice - sprinkle some cheese on top and you have three groups
· Peanut butter sandwich -peanuts are peas(legumes). They are NOT nuts.
Grain and Seed
· Rolls with poppy or sesame seeds
Legume and Dairy
· Chili topped with cheese
· Green bean casserole made with milk
· Any serving of beans topped with butter or cheese
Dairy and Nut
· Custard(milk/egg) dessert with nut topping
It is very important to note that a person undertaking the above combination's from a plant source diet should read the following book from which this information is designed.-"Diet For a Small Planet" by Frances Lappe. For example, a 170 lb man needs 64 grams of protein a day.
CWG: Comp Proteins(R 2-14-11)
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Food Storage Recipe
We tried out this recipe a couple of months back. It was a hit with the kids, though of course we doubled it. I wanted to post this because it's ingredients are very easy to store , which makes it an excellent dinner recipe for your food storage menu.
Shepherd's Pie
serves 4
On your shelves:
1 (40 oz) can of Beef Stew
1 (12 oz) can of Vegetables (peas, corn or green beans)
1 cup of Potato Pearls (or using the equivalent in potato flakes, to make 3 cups)
From the pantry:
1/2 cup grated Cheese (optional)
2 cups very hot water (follow potato flake ingredient instructions if substituting)
To the Table:
~ Combine stew and vegetables then pour into a 9x9 inch baking dish.
~ Combine potato pearls with water. Stir briefly, cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
~ Spread potatoes over the stew, top with grated cheese if desired. Bake at 350 deg. for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Shepherd's Pie
serves 4
On your shelves:
1 (40 oz) can of Beef Stew
1 (12 oz) can of Vegetables (peas, corn or green beans)
1 cup of Potato Pearls (or using the equivalent in potato flakes, to make 3 cups)
From the pantry:
1/2 cup grated Cheese (optional)
2 cups very hot water (follow potato flake ingredient instructions if substituting)
To the Table:
~ Combine stew and vegetables then pour into a 9x9 inch baking dish.
~ Combine potato pearls with water. Stir briefly, cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes.
~ Spread potatoes over the stew, top with grated cheese if desired. Bake at 350 deg. for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Food Storage Home Party
I just went to a Shelf Reliance home party! Thrive foods is the brand. Maybe you've seen this website before? I didn't know they did home parties or that they had independent consultants in the area. There were all sorts of food to taste that was super yummy. I was very surprised at how good the freeze dried fruits and foods were. I would definitely recommend the Instant milk.... it tasted like milk! Nothing like powdered milk.
The independent consultant that ran the party was Michelle Parker 214-9904. Or you can check out www.shelfreliance.com
I was really impressed with their product. The catalog also had lots of emergency 72-hr stuff if you wanted to supplement your 72-hr. kits.
The independent consultant that ran the party was Michelle Parker 214-9904. Or you can check out www.shelfreliance.com
I was really impressed with their product. The catalog also had lots of emergency 72-hr stuff if you wanted to supplement your 72-hr. kits.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Water Challenge
Get one weeks worth of water for your family.
1 gallon per person per day = drinking amount
if you want to sponge bathe, brush your teeth.. you'll need more.
So a family of 4 minimally needs:
4 gallons x 7 days = 28 gallons for just one week.
1 gallon per person per day = drinking amount
if you want to sponge bathe, brush your teeth.. you'll need more.
So a family of 4 minimally needs:
4 gallons x 7 days = 28 gallons for just one week.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Preparedness Talk
This is a talk my sister gave in Sacrament Meeting about being prepared. I thought it was pretty good and wanted to share.
If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear
If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear. That scripture brings me great comfort.
Last fall we had a lesson in church about being prepared for times of trouble. My husband and I have always tried to be prepared, and we have our food storage. As Troy and I talked about the lesson and how well we were prepared, we decided we had a pretty good year supply, at least the basics and a few other things, but it was hard to actually know how effective our food storage was since we'd never actually had to live off of it.
As we talked, we decided the most responsible thing would be to try out our food storage and see if it really was good enough to live on. If you're not going to really eat it, why store it? So we called up a few people and issued the Thanksgiving Challenge, to live off of what we had on hand and in our storage until Thanksgiving Dinner. This was back on November 1st, and Thanksgiving was on the 26th, so 26 days without going to the store.
Day one of the challenge was a Sunday so we hadn't gone to the store first or anything, it was as much a surprised to us as it was to everyone else. Four families in total accepted the challenge. The first family found out they really didn't have as much food storage as they thought, they'd somehow forgotten to store wheat and milk. They had a lot of other things, including a bag of pre-ground wheat flour, but by week two, they were done. The second family also didn't have a lot of basics, but she is a coupon shopper and they did have two giant freezers full of frozen pizza and TV dinners. They made it two and a half weeks on frozen pizza and TV dinners. They said they could have gone on, but frozen pizza for breakfast lunch and dinner was wreaking havoc on their systems. Of the four families who started, two made it to the end, our family and my sister Christina's family. My sister lives on 10 acres and has a cow and chickens, and claimed through the whole challenge that it wasn't really much of a challenge. I admit by week three, her cow and chickens were a source of envy at our house, but milk and eggs aside, we did fairly well--- and the experience we gained was invaluable.
Day 1 of the challenge we were nervous, but ready for the adventure.
By Day 3, we were starting to incorporate food storage basics like dried peas and beans into our meals by Day 12 we had pretty much cleaned out what was in the fridge and were getting creative.
Throughout the experience I kept daily track of what we did and how it was going.
By Day 16, the rationed store milk ran out, and we broke out the powdered milk. The kids and I had actually been drinking powdered milk for a few days, but Troy is the ultimate milk critic. He likes milk from only one store, and it has to always be cold, never left out or he can tell, even the next day by the taste. You might say that for Troy, the Thanksgiving Challenge started on day 16.
On Day 17 I wrote in my journal: “I think personally that we were foolish to wait so long to start the powdered milk. I'd much rather have powdered milk than NO milk. Saving the store milk was mostly like having no milk.”
This is what I wrote on Day 19: “We are making bread daily and powdered milk daily also. We are eating more rice and beans, but it is all do-able. It is surprising to me how little we actually need to survive. More than just surviving, we're actually thriving. The memory of store milk is fading and the kids are happy with the powdered milk.”
By the end of the challenge, an interesting thing had happened. We found we had made the transition from one lifestyle to another, and once the transition was made, it was almost as if we'd always lived that way. It stopped being a contest of who could hold out the longest and became just another day.
Attitudes in our house changed. Food was no longer an unlimited resource to be wasted and taken for granted, it was valued and respected. The kids didn't pour lakes of syrup on the pancakes anymore, and the cheese block was never left out to dry. Not only are we not afraid to use our food storage anymore, but those basics have become like friends. I know that no matter what happens, I have the skills and the resources to feed my family food they will eat. Not only that but we totaled the money we saved at the end of the month, and it came to over a thousand dollars. It was such an eye opening experience to us that by simply changing a few things, we could have an extra thousand dollars a month any time we needed it. That is liberating.
It has been six months since we started the Thanksgiving Challenge, and we have yet to buy a loaf of bread. Some changes we made that month stayed with us, and home made bread is one of them. We also eat a lot more home made chili--- it turned out to be a great family favorite. Because food takes longer to prepare when you are cooking with basics, we spent a lot more time together as a family, working together in the kitchen and as a result, my kids also know how to cook with basics. If you have never lived on a shoestring budget, if you've never had whole wheat home made bread, or powdered milk, the mental torture involved at the prospect is much greater. This experience liberated us from that fear. We KNOW that we are prepared. We KNOW that we can do it, and WE KNOW the blessings that come from obedience to that principle.
Now I'm going to change gears a bit on this subject of preparedness and tell you another experience I had recently.
15 years ago as a student at BYU, I helped my great grandmother, Mary Olson Almond, write her life history. Two books of about 200 pages each. Her life, her challenges, her walk with the Lord and her testimony of him.
Last month I finished helping her daughter, my grandmother, Dixie Almond Smith, write her life history. 200 pages of stories and experiences. Her life, her challenges, her walk with the Lord and her testimony of him.
For a while now I've felt impressed that I ought to write the history, my history, of the last ten years of my life. For those of you who have known us in this ward, you may be aware that the last ten years, and the last five especially have been full of exceedingly sore trials. I've felt impressed to write that history, that chapter of my life--- my trials, my challenges, my own walk with the Lord and my testimony of him.
As part of that effort, I've spent the last month typing my journals into the computer. First because I value them like scriptures. Every priesthood blessing I receive, every inspiration from the Lord to me is recorded there, as well as my struggles and growth. My journals are precious to me, having only one copy is not enough. Second, because ten years is a long time, and I want to get the story right when I write it.
Brothers and sisters, there is nothing like systematically going through your life in fast forward. I relive these experiences as I type them, only this time, I know the end from the beginning. All my struggles, all my hardships, all my hopes and my blessings fly by as if they were just minutes and hours instead of years.
Four weeks ago I transcribed the journal where we discovered that we could not have more children biologically. Three weeks ago I transcribed the journal where we found out Troy had multiple sclerosis, and then cancer. Two weeks ago I transcribed the journal that detailed the adoption of our three sons, and the two year long struggle and blessing that was. Last week I transcribed the journals from the years we were foster parents, and this week begins the hardest one of all, the journal of finding our daughters and losing them again.
The last time I spoke in this ward was to bear my testimony. It was in Relief Society, in January of 2007. Things were going well for us, We were nearing the finalization of the adoption of four little girls and it appeared that at last our family was complete. We had struggled so long, but though we suffered and struggled, great were the blessings. I remember that day because I wrote about it later, and it is recorded in my journal. I don't usually stand and bear testimony, I am a great writer, but when it comes to speaking, I tend to get a little shy. That day I felt the spirit so strongly that I could not keep my seat, but stood, with my littlest, Carolyn, asleep over my shoulder and bore my testimony of the blessing of going through hard things. How the trials in my life had blessed me, and how my walk with the Lord had become sweeter and my faith strengthened from going through the hard things.
A little more than a month after that our littlest daughter, our Carolyn died of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, returning to her father in heaven in her sleep, and as my family was ripped apart in the aftermath of that experience, the testimony I bore that day was severely tried.
Brothers and Sisters, there is a reason why preparedness has two sides, the temporal and the spiritual. Temporal preparedness will keep you and your family from physical death, which is a valuable thing, but spiritual preparedness can save you and your family from spiritual death. You may or may not ever need to live off of your year supply of food, but you WILL need your testimony because HARD TIMES COME TO ALL OF US.
During the sorest part of my time of trial, one of the hardest things for me was feeling like these trials were not what I had agreed to. The Lord had asked us, inspired us to grow our family, and here it was torn apart, turned upside down and inside out. This was not what I thought I signed up for.
As we went through this trial, our families went through it too. It affected all of us, and we all struggled. My mother, knowing my heartache, sent me a good talk from April 2002 called “For Thy Good” and there's one great quote I like:
“There are few of us, if any, who don't walk the refiner's fire of adversity and despair, sometimes known to others but for many, quietly hidden and privately endured. Most of the heartache pain and suffering we would not choose today. But we did choose. We chose when we could see the complete plan. We chose when we had a clear vision of the Savior's rescue of us. And if our faith and understanding were as clear today as it was when we first made that choice, I believe we would choose again.”
“Therefore, perhaps the challenge is to have the kind of faith during the hard times that we exercised when we first chose. The kind of faith that turns questioning and even anger into acknowledging the power, blessings and hope that can come only from Him who is the source of all power, blessings and hope. The kind of faith that brings the knowledge and assurances that we all experience is part of the gospel plan, and that for the righteous all that appears wrong will eventually be made right. The peace and understanding to endure with dignity and clarity of purpose can be the sweet reward. This kind of faith can help us see the good, even when life's path seems to be layered only with thorns, thistles and craggy rocks.
The last three years have been the hardest struggle and trial of my life. We had been directed by the Lord to continue to grow our family and it seemed that all those efforts had been destroyed, and our hearts with it, but today I stand to bear you that same testimony, that I KNOW the trials in my life have blessed me. My walk with the Lord has become impossibly sweeter, and my faith strengthened from going through the hard things.
It has taken me three years to fully get to this point, but I KNOW the Lord walks with me, he weeps when I weep. He does not forget me or leave me to flounder alone. As the scripture says, I am engraven upon the palms of His hands.
So many times during the last three years there have come the Lord's tender mercies to me to bear me up and give me understanding. One came in the summer of 2008. Julie Brian gave a Relief Society lesson where she referenced a talk she'd heard from President Holland on the incredible blessings that can come only through hard trials. It wasn't a conference address or Ensign article, but was only available in video form. He gave it at a CES fireside just a month or two before her lesson and she felt impressed to use it in her lesson. I am so glad she did. This talk spoke to my soul. It was one of the things I clung to. It made such an impression on me, that I made a word for word transcription of the entire talk, going line by line through the video, so that I could have it, and digest every word. It took me six hours, but was unavailable in any other format, so I did it. Since then it's been printed in the Ensign, so you may remember it.
In the talk, Elder Holland was speaking of the experience Joseph Smith had in Liberty Jail, and how those severe trials were a temple experience to him:
Liberty Jail –Holland CES fireside 2008
So in what sense could Liberty Jail be called a “temple,” and what does such a title tell us about God’s love and teachings, including where and when that love and those teachings are made manifest? In precisely this sense: that you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in any situation you are in. Indeed, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life—in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced.
In one way or another, great or small, dramatic or incidental, every one of us is going to spend a little time in Liberty Jail—spiritually speaking. We will face things we do not want to face for reasons that may not be our fault. Indeed, we may face difficult circumstances for reasons that were absolutely right and proper, reasons that came because we were trying to keep the commandments of the Lord. We may face persecution, we may endure heartache and separation from loved ones, we may be hungry and cold and forlorn. Yes, before our lives are over we may all be given a little taste of what the prophets faced often in their lives.
But the lessons of the winter of 1838–39 teach us that every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded to our Father in Heaven through it. These difficult lessons teach us that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, He can turn the unfair and inhumane and debilitating prisons of our lives into temples—or at least into a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace.
. . .
Whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or that He does not hear our prayers. He does hear us. He does see us. He does love us. When we are in dire circumstances and want to cry, “Where art Thou?” it is imperative that we remember He is right there with us—where He has always been! We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven, even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard. And when we weep He and the angels of heaven weep with us.
Looking back, I see the end from the beginning. I know the end of the book, or at least the end of this chapter. In a small measure, reading through these histories, I can see as the Lord sees. As I transcribe these journals and watch myself go through these pages full of struggle and questioning, I feel like telling myself “Don't worry! It's all going to turn out ok!” “Look, just 10 more pages until THIS happens. You can do it!”
When we lived in Boston ten years ago, I went in for a temple recommend interview, and the member of the stake presidency giving me the interview asked me if I requested priesthood blessings. I didn't remember this question being one of the ones on the list, but I told him no I hadn't really, unless I was very sick. He gave me counsel then that has blessed my life ever since, that I should ask for blessings of comfort and counsel, on a regular basis, and treasure them--- and if I did, it would bless my life. I have done that, and because I have been obedient to that counsel I have a written record of every blessing I've received in the last ten years. Reading those blessings now, I KNOW the Lord sees the end from the beginning.
As I was thinking this the other day, reading about some particularly difficult time we were going through, trying to understand and make sense of what had happened to us, I realized that my priesthood blessings echoed that sentiment. “Don't worry! It's all going to turn out ok, just a little longer, you can do it!” The Lord sees the end from the beginning. He knows what lies ahead for us if we keep on being faithful. No matter who the voice was delivering the blessing, the Lord's encouragement was the same, and the promises for enduring well were everything I'd ever wanted. Four priesthood blessings by four different mouths promised our family would continue to grow. Many other blessings and promises have also been given us, many of which we have already realized and some are still to come. Some blessings were obvious at the time, and some obvious only later.
We've had witnesses and experiences we treasure as a result of these trials in our lives.
Being spiritually prepared is being prepared to act as if we too could see the end from the beginning as the Lord does, even when we don't. It is believing him when he says to follow him, and things will work out. Being spiritually prepared means being willing to see your trials and earthly hardships with one eye in mortality and one in eternity.
The Lord has helped me see my life and my trials with one eye in mortality and one in eternity. And for me, that makes all the difference. It turns tragedy to hope, hope to promise, and promise to reality if we endure it well.
The other day I had the opportunity to go to the temple, to be close to the spirit and the Lord and I felt close to my little Carolyn there. I was able to bring her the news that after these three years, we will finally be able to have her sealed to us. Because her adoption wasn't completely finalized before she died, we had to get special permission to have her sealed, but we have that permission now and will be going in the next few weeks to have her sealed to us. The Lord knows the ending is good.
I know that the Lord walks with me. He weeps when I weep, and he will turn our most heartbreaking trials into precious eternal treasures.
Be obedient. Lean on him. Rely on him. He will comfort you. He will sustain you, and he will bless you beyond what we can now imagine. I know this by my own experience. Heaven is near, and our time here to grow is so short and so valuable. I pray we can prepare now to make the most of those experiences when they come. For if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.
And I bear my testimony of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen
If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear
If Ye Are Prepared, Ye Shall Not Fear. That scripture brings me great comfort.
Last fall we had a lesson in church about being prepared for times of trouble. My husband and I have always tried to be prepared, and we have our food storage. As Troy and I talked about the lesson and how well we were prepared, we decided we had a pretty good year supply, at least the basics and a few other things, but it was hard to actually know how effective our food storage was since we'd never actually had to live off of it.
As we talked, we decided the most responsible thing would be to try out our food storage and see if it really was good enough to live on. If you're not going to really eat it, why store it? So we called up a few people and issued the Thanksgiving Challenge, to live off of what we had on hand and in our storage until Thanksgiving Dinner. This was back on November 1st, and Thanksgiving was on the 26th, so 26 days without going to the store.
Day one of the challenge was a Sunday so we hadn't gone to the store first or anything, it was as much a surprised to us as it was to everyone else. Four families in total accepted the challenge. The first family found out they really didn't have as much food storage as they thought, they'd somehow forgotten to store wheat and milk. They had a lot of other things, including a bag of pre-ground wheat flour, but by week two, they were done. The second family also didn't have a lot of basics, but she is a coupon shopper and they did have two giant freezers full of frozen pizza and TV dinners. They made it two and a half weeks on frozen pizza and TV dinners. They said they could have gone on, but frozen pizza for breakfast lunch and dinner was wreaking havoc on their systems. Of the four families who started, two made it to the end, our family and my sister Christina's family. My sister lives on 10 acres and has a cow and chickens, and claimed through the whole challenge that it wasn't really much of a challenge. I admit by week three, her cow and chickens were a source of envy at our house, but milk and eggs aside, we did fairly well--- and the experience we gained was invaluable.
Day 1 of the challenge we were nervous, but ready for the adventure.
By Day 3, we were starting to incorporate food storage basics like dried peas and beans into our meals by Day 12 we had pretty much cleaned out what was in the fridge and were getting creative.
Throughout the experience I kept daily track of what we did and how it was going.
By Day 16, the rationed store milk ran out, and we broke out the powdered milk. The kids and I had actually been drinking powdered milk for a few days, but Troy is the ultimate milk critic. He likes milk from only one store, and it has to always be cold, never left out or he can tell, even the next day by the taste. You might say that for Troy, the Thanksgiving Challenge started on day 16.
On Day 17 I wrote in my journal: “I think personally that we were foolish to wait so long to start the powdered milk. I'd much rather have powdered milk than NO milk. Saving the store milk was mostly like having no milk.”
This is what I wrote on Day 19: “We are making bread daily and powdered milk daily also. We are eating more rice and beans, but it is all do-able. It is surprising to me how little we actually need to survive. More than just surviving, we're actually thriving. The memory of store milk is fading and the kids are happy with the powdered milk.”
By the end of the challenge, an interesting thing had happened. We found we had made the transition from one lifestyle to another, and once the transition was made, it was almost as if we'd always lived that way. It stopped being a contest of who could hold out the longest and became just another day.
Attitudes in our house changed. Food was no longer an unlimited resource to be wasted and taken for granted, it was valued and respected. The kids didn't pour lakes of syrup on the pancakes anymore, and the cheese block was never left out to dry. Not only are we not afraid to use our food storage anymore, but those basics have become like friends. I know that no matter what happens, I have the skills and the resources to feed my family food they will eat. Not only that but we totaled the money we saved at the end of the month, and it came to over a thousand dollars. It was such an eye opening experience to us that by simply changing a few things, we could have an extra thousand dollars a month any time we needed it. That is liberating.
It has been six months since we started the Thanksgiving Challenge, and we have yet to buy a loaf of bread. Some changes we made that month stayed with us, and home made bread is one of them. We also eat a lot more home made chili--- it turned out to be a great family favorite. Because food takes longer to prepare when you are cooking with basics, we spent a lot more time together as a family, working together in the kitchen and as a result, my kids also know how to cook with basics. If you have never lived on a shoestring budget, if you've never had whole wheat home made bread, or powdered milk, the mental torture involved at the prospect is much greater. This experience liberated us from that fear. We KNOW that we are prepared. We KNOW that we can do it, and WE KNOW the blessings that come from obedience to that principle.
Now I'm going to change gears a bit on this subject of preparedness and tell you another experience I had recently.
15 years ago as a student at BYU, I helped my great grandmother, Mary Olson Almond, write her life history. Two books of about 200 pages each. Her life, her challenges, her walk with the Lord and her testimony of him.
Last month I finished helping her daughter, my grandmother, Dixie Almond Smith, write her life history. 200 pages of stories and experiences. Her life, her challenges, her walk with the Lord and her testimony of him.
For a while now I've felt impressed that I ought to write the history, my history, of the last ten years of my life. For those of you who have known us in this ward, you may be aware that the last ten years, and the last five especially have been full of exceedingly sore trials. I've felt impressed to write that history, that chapter of my life--- my trials, my challenges, my own walk with the Lord and my testimony of him.
As part of that effort, I've spent the last month typing my journals into the computer. First because I value them like scriptures. Every priesthood blessing I receive, every inspiration from the Lord to me is recorded there, as well as my struggles and growth. My journals are precious to me, having only one copy is not enough. Second, because ten years is a long time, and I want to get the story right when I write it.
Brothers and sisters, there is nothing like systematically going through your life in fast forward. I relive these experiences as I type them, only this time, I know the end from the beginning. All my struggles, all my hardships, all my hopes and my blessings fly by as if they were just minutes and hours instead of years.
Four weeks ago I transcribed the journal where we discovered that we could not have more children biologically. Three weeks ago I transcribed the journal where we found out Troy had multiple sclerosis, and then cancer. Two weeks ago I transcribed the journal that detailed the adoption of our three sons, and the two year long struggle and blessing that was. Last week I transcribed the journals from the years we were foster parents, and this week begins the hardest one of all, the journal of finding our daughters and losing them again.
The last time I spoke in this ward was to bear my testimony. It was in Relief Society, in January of 2007. Things were going well for us, We were nearing the finalization of the adoption of four little girls and it appeared that at last our family was complete. We had struggled so long, but though we suffered and struggled, great were the blessings. I remember that day because I wrote about it later, and it is recorded in my journal. I don't usually stand and bear testimony, I am a great writer, but when it comes to speaking, I tend to get a little shy. That day I felt the spirit so strongly that I could not keep my seat, but stood, with my littlest, Carolyn, asleep over my shoulder and bore my testimony of the blessing of going through hard things. How the trials in my life had blessed me, and how my walk with the Lord had become sweeter and my faith strengthened from going through the hard things.
A little more than a month after that our littlest daughter, our Carolyn died of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, returning to her father in heaven in her sleep, and as my family was ripped apart in the aftermath of that experience, the testimony I bore that day was severely tried.
Brothers and Sisters, there is a reason why preparedness has two sides, the temporal and the spiritual. Temporal preparedness will keep you and your family from physical death, which is a valuable thing, but spiritual preparedness can save you and your family from spiritual death. You may or may not ever need to live off of your year supply of food, but you WILL need your testimony because HARD TIMES COME TO ALL OF US.
During the sorest part of my time of trial, one of the hardest things for me was feeling like these trials were not what I had agreed to. The Lord had asked us, inspired us to grow our family, and here it was torn apart, turned upside down and inside out. This was not what I thought I signed up for.
As we went through this trial, our families went through it too. It affected all of us, and we all struggled. My mother, knowing my heartache, sent me a good talk from April 2002 called “For Thy Good” and there's one great quote I like:
“There are few of us, if any, who don't walk the refiner's fire of adversity and despair, sometimes known to others but for many, quietly hidden and privately endured. Most of the heartache pain and suffering we would not choose today. But we did choose. We chose when we could see the complete plan. We chose when we had a clear vision of the Savior's rescue of us. And if our faith and understanding were as clear today as it was when we first made that choice, I believe we would choose again.”
“Therefore, perhaps the challenge is to have the kind of faith during the hard times that we exercised when we first chose. The kind of faith that turns questioning and even anger into acknowledging the power, blessings and hope that can come only from Him who is the source of all power, blessings and hope. The kind of faith that brings the knowledge and assurances that we all experience is part of the gospel plan, and that for the righteous all that appears wrong will eventually be made right. The peace and understanding to endure with dignity and clarity of purpose can be the sweet reward. This kind of faith can help us see the good, even when life's path seems to be layered only with thorns, thistles and craggy rocks.
The last three years have been the hardest struggle and trial of my life. We had been directed by the Lord to continue to grow our family and it seemed that all those efforts had been destroyed, and our hearts with it, but today I stand to bear you that same testimony, that I KNOW the trials in my life have blessed me. My walk with the Lord has become impossibly sweeter, and my faith strengthened from going through the hard things.
It has taken me three years to fully get to this point, but I KNOW the Lord walks with me, he weeps when I weep. He does not forget me or leave me to flounder alone. As the scripture says, I am engraven upon the palms of His hands.
So many times during the last three years there have come the Lord's tender mercies to me to bear me up and give me understanding. One came in the summer of 2008. Julie Brian gave a Relief Society lesson where she referenced a talk she'd heard from President Holland on the incredible blessings that can come only through hard trials. It wasn't a conference address or Ensign article, but was only available in video form. He gave it at a CES fireside just a month or two before her lesson and she felt impressed to use it in her lesson. I am so glad she did. This talk spoke to my soul. It was one of the things I clung to. It made such an impression on me, that I made a word for word transcription of the entire talk, going line by line through the video, so that I could have it, and digest every word. It took me six hours, but was unavailable in any other format, so I did it. Since then it's been printed in the Ensign, so you may remember it.
In the talk, Elder Holland was speaking of the experience Joseph Smith had in Liberty Jail, and how those severe trials were a temple experience to him:
Liberty Jail –Holland CES fireside 2008
So in what sense could Liberty Jail be called a “temple,” and what does such a title tell us about God’s love and teachings, including where and when that love and those teachings are made manifest? In precisely this sense: that you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in any situation you are in. Indeed, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experiences with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life—in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced.
In one way or another, great or small, dramatic or incidental, every one of us is going to spend a little time in Liberty Jail—spiritually speaking. We will face things we do not want to face for reasons that may not be our fault. Indeed, we may face difficult circumstances for reasons that were absolutely right and proper, reasons that came because we were trying to keep the commandments of the Lord. We may face persecution, we may endure heartache and separation from loved ones, we may be hungry and cold and forlorn. Yes, before our lives are over we may all be given a little taste of what the prophets faced often in their lives.
But the lessons of the winter of 1838–39 teach us that every experience can become a redemptive experience if we remain bonded to our Father in Heaven through it. These difficult lessons teach us that man’s extremity is God’s opportunity, and if we will be humble and faithful, if we will be believing and not curse God for our problems, He can turn the unfair and inhumane and debilitating prisons of our lives into temples—or at least into a circumstance that can bring comfort and revelation, divine companionship and peace.
. . .
Whenever these moments of our extremity come, we must not succumb to the fear that God has abandoned us or that He does not hear our prayers. He does hear us. He does see us. He does love us. When we are in dire circumstances and want to cry, “Where art Thou?” it is imperative that we remember He is right there with us—where He has always been! We must continue to believe, continue to have faith, continue to pray and plead with heaven, even if we feel for a time our prayers are not heard and that God has somehow gone away. He is there. Our prayers are heard. And when we weep He and the angels of heaven weep with us.
Looking back, I see the end from the beginning. I know the end of the book, or at least the end of this chapter. In a small measure, reading through these histories, I can see as the Lord sees. As I transcribe these journals and watch myself go through these pages full of struggle and questioning, I feel like telling myself “Don't worry! It's all going to turn out ok!” “Look, just 10 more pages until THIS happens. You can do it!”
When we lived in Boston ten years ago, I went in for a temple recommend interview, and the member of the stake presidency giving me the interview asked me if I requested priesthood blessings. I didn't remember this question being one of the ones on the list, but I told him no I hadn't really, unless I was very sick. He gave me counsel then that has blessed my life ever since, that I should ask for blessings of comfort and counsel, on a regular basis, and treasure them--- and if I did, it would bless my life. I have done that, and because I have been obedient to that counsel I have a written record of every blessing I've received in the last ten years. Reading those blessings now, I KNOW the Lord sees the end from the beginning.
As I was thinking this the other day, reading about some particularly difficult time we were going through, trying to understand and make sense of what had happened to us, I realized that my priesthood blessings echoed that sentiment. “Don't worry! It's all going to turn out ok, just a little longer, you can do it!” The Lord sees the end from the beginning. He knows what lies ahead for us if we keep on being faithful. No matter who the voice was delivering the blessing, the Lord's encouragement was the same, and the promises for enduring well were everything I'd ever wanted. Four priesthood blessings by four different mouths promised our family would continue to grow. Many other blessings and promises have also been given us, many of which we have already realized and some are still to come. Some blessings were obvious at the time, and some obvious only later.
We've had witnesses and experiences we treasure as a result of these trials in our lives.
Being spiritually prepared is being prepared to act as if we too could see the end from the beginning as the Lord does, even when we don't. It is believing him when he says to follow him, and things will work out. Being spiritually prepared means being willing to see your trials and earthly hardships with one eye in mortality and one in eternity.
The Lord has helped me see my life and my trials with one eye in mortality and one in eternity. And for me, that makes all the difference. It turns tragedy to hope, hope to promise, and promise to reality if we endure it well.
The other day I had the opportunity to go to the temple, to be close to the spirit and the Lord and I felt close to my little Carolyn there. I was able to bring her the news that after these three years, we will finally be able to have her sealed to us. Because her adoption wasn't completely finalized before she died, we had to get special permission to have her sealed, but we have that permission now and will be going in the next few weeks to have her sealed to us. The Lord knows the ending is good.
I know that the Lord walks with me. He weeps when I weep, and he will turn our most heartbreaking trials into precious eternal treasures.
Be obedient. Lean on him. Rely on him. He will comfort you. He will sustain you, and he will bless you beyond what we can now imagine. I know this by my own experience. Heaven is near, and our time here to grow is so short and so valuable. I pray we can prepare now to make the most of those experiences when they come. For if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.
And I bear my testimony of these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Challenge!
I would like to challenge each family in our ward (without going into debt) to have in place a month's supply of food for their family to use in event of emergency where no more food could be obtained outside this month's supply.
December 31, 2009 is the target date to have this goal accomplished!
Also, do you know how to turn off your water or gas, have a 72-hr kit ready or where to go in an emergency? These things are all important. Having a plan and moving forward is the best way to accomplish your goals!
December 31, 2009 is the target date to have this goal accomplished!
Also, do you know how to turn off your water or gas, have a 72-hr kit ready or where to go in an emergency? These things are all important. Having a plan and moving forward is the best way to accomplish your goals!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Wonder Box
I finally have a picture of the wonder box or wonder oven. It cooks with retained heat. This green one is a standard size wonder box.
This is a picture of a wonder box put inside a duffle bag type thing, for a more portable version. See how the pot is placed inside?
Wonder boxes are good for hot and cold as seen here with the ice cream.
I am still tracking down the pattern, but I have the information of a gal down in Elk Grove that makes and sells them for $35.
This is a picture of a wonder box put inside a duffle bag type thing, for a more portable version. See how the pot is placed inside?
Wonder boxes are good for hot and cold as seen here with the ice cream.
I am still tracking down the pattern, but I have the information of a gal down in Elk Grove that makes and sells them for $35. Monday, March 23, 2009
Seminar for Emergency Preparedness
Last week I attended a seminar for Emergency Preparedness. The speaker was Becky Pritt who came all the way from Utah. She and her husband outlined several interesting ways to conserve energy during everyday life as well as in an emergency.
One of the main things demonstrated was the different ways to store energy. We saw a variety of lamps, flashlights and battery generators in action. The most versitile of them was of course the battery generator. It had enough energy (300-600 watts) to jump start a car, charge a cell phone and still light up a campsite at night. Xantrex.com has a variety of battery generators for a variety of uses-- see portable and back up power section. The generator was useful in so many situations such as camping, picnics or more predictably, in power outage situations.
Other forms of storeable energy included wood, charcoal, propane (gas stoves) and butane.
One of the most exciting things demonstrated was the Wonderbox. The concept is quite like a crockpot, but with no power cord! It's basically an insulated box that cooks with retained heat. Food is brought to boil in a pot and the pot is placed inside the Wonderbox where the food can continue to cook for another 2 or more hours. It usually takes 4 times the normal cooking time, but takes no extra fuel and will keep the food HOT until ready to eat without burning! Sister Pritt had made 3 different foods for us to try: Stew, ham and bean soup and BREAD! They were all delicious and all cooked in the wonderbox. This is such a neat idea, with many applications. As soon as I can get some pictures i'll post them.
One of the main things demonstrated was the different ways to store energy. We saw a variety of lamps, flashlights and battery generators in action. The most versitile of them was of course the battery generator. It had enough energy (300-600 watts) to jump start a car, charge a cell phone and still light up a campsite at night. Xantrex.com has a variety of battery generators for a variety of uses-- see portable and back up power section. The generator was useful in so many situations such as camping, picnics or more predictably, in power outage situations.
Other forms of storeable energy included wood, charcoal, propane (gas stoves) and butane.
One of the most exciting things demonstrated was the Wonderbox. The concept is quite like a crockpot, but with no power cord! It's basically an insulated box that cooks with retained heat. Food is brought to boil in a pot and the pot is placed inside the Wonderbox where the food can continue to cook for another 2 or more hours. It usually takes 4 times the normal cooking time, but takes no extra fuel and will keep the food HOT until ready to eat without burning! Sister Pritt had made 3 different foods for us to try: Stew, ham and bean soup and BREAD! They were all delicious and all cooked in the wonderbox. This is such a neat idea, with many applications. As soon as I can get some pictures i'll post them.
